More people killed in Ambon clash

More people killed in Ambon clash

AMBON, Maluku (JP): At least eight people, including two
Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers, were killed during
three, likely related, raids by armed men on Monday.

The attacks began when speedboats sped by shooting at Galala
port in Ambon. Soon after an attack occurred at the nearby
adjacent villages of Hative Kecil and Galala, just a few
kilometers from Ambon.

Sgt. Zeth Palibu of the Ambon Police and Sgt. Marsel Alfres of
Police Mobile Brigade's 3rd Battalion in Bogor died from wounds
when they tried to stop attackers coming into the village from
the Gunung Malintang hills.

Pattimura Military Commander Brig. Gen. Max Tamaela confirmed
the incident, saying that the two policemen were shot in the
chest and in the head.

"The two villages are only 500 meters away from the hills. The
clash broke up at about 7:15 a.m. The attackers started to
infiltrate the villages from 4:45 a.m. and burned dozens of
houses, including a church," Tamaela said.

The secretary-general of the Maluku branch of the Indonesian
Ulemas Council (MUI), Malik Selang, said six people, including
the two policemen, died in the clash at Galala village.

Later at about 11 a.m., another attack occurred at the Poka
area, 21 kilometers north of Ambon.

Soldiers rushed to the scene to help stop the violence. Two
people were reportedly killed during the unrest in Poka.

As of 10 p.m. local time, bomb explosions and gunfire were
still being heard.

No less than 33 people were injured in the three attacks. Most
of the victims were hit by bullets, shrapnel from bombs, along
with arrows.

Eighteen are currently being treated at Al Fatah Hospital
while the rest were taken to Halong Naval Base Hospital and Dr.
Haulussy General Hospital.

Hundreds of terrified residents have left the villages seeking
refuge in safer areas.

"We detected the presence of outsiders among the attackers,
but we managed to block and disperse them," Tamaela added without
elaborating.

In a bid to quell further rioting, Tamaela said two Navy
battleships entered the waters of North Maluku to attempt to
block further sea attacks.

"An infantry battalion has also been set to enter Ambon this
week. Troops in Tual, North Maluku, and Morotai island also have
been redeployed by the Marines from Surabaya," he said.

Local leader Alex Manuputty, however, criticized the handling
of riots by certain troops who seemed to be taking sides.

"Almost every time there is a problem here, rioters freely
pass security posts guarded by Army Strategic Reserves Command's
(Kostrad) 303rd battalion. The troops do nothing to stop them,"
Alex said.

Elsewhere in South Sulawesi, Pare-Pare Military Commander Col.
Soeharnanto revealed that two alleged provocateurs of the recent
Poso unrest had been detained at Pare-Pare Police Headquarters.

"One alleged provocateur is identified as a German national
named Karl Heinz Reiche," Soeharnanto said.

"He was arrested in Palopo regency on June 5 after he escaped
from Makale, the capital of Toraja," Soeharnanto told Antara from
Makale on Monday.

The officer claimed Reiche admitted to conducting activities
in the towns of Palu, Poso and Tentena, all in Central Sulawesi,
just before the riots erupted in Poso on May 23.

The Wirabuana Military commander overseeing Sulawesi, Maj.
Gen. Slamet Kirbiantoro, confirmed the arrest later in the day,
and said the two, one of them a local resident, were under police
investigation.

No information could be obtained as to exactly what the two
were alleged to have done.(27/48/49/edt)